An Arrow Lodged in the Heart
by A Thing For Brothers
Summary: You guessed it! Another Arrow of Time story. This is my take on how I would have changed the episode, starting with when Charlie found out Buck's next move. This is not meant to take away from the other great AOT stories. Read them all! They're all great!
1. The Truth vs The Lie

**Hello! This story is about the latest episode of Numb3rs from season five, titled Arrow of Time. It's the one about Don and Buck Winters. There are some spoilers, but not a whole lot because I am changing the ending. I pick up my story from when Charlie said that he had predicted Buck's next move in the episode. The rest is my take, not the episode's take. Minimal spoilers, but I would feel better if you had seen the episode, so you can follow along easily. I send my apologies to my Cry Because It Happened readers, but I HAD to write something on that episode. I wasn't exactly disappointed, just thought it could have been better if it was done a little different. Anyway, I have no rights to Numb3rs, I don't own it, and make no profit!**

**NOTE: I did start this before I read anyone else's version of this episode. I see that it's become a "fad" on our fanfic site. I know mine and FraidyCat's have some similar dialogue or thoughts blooming, but luckily no two people have done the exact same thing. Hope I don't steal anyone's idea. I'd hate to be the one to break that. I love everyone else's take so far! Great job, guys!**

Larry Fleinhart walked into Charlie Eppes' office, hoping to check in on his friend and colleague. They were working on a particularly hard case, if for no other reason than the personal connection to it. They were dealing with three escaped prisoners, but only one of them held any real meaning to them: Buck Winters. The young man had been through a lot in his 19 years. He had run off and married a woman almost twice his age and the two turned into the modern day Bonnie and Clyde. During their killing and stealing spree, the FBI had caught Buck Winters, and in turn, Buck's wife, Crystal, kidnapped Agent Megan Reeves. Don and Agent Ian Edgerton worked together, pushing the lines, to get information out of Buck. In the end, it worked and they were able to get Megan back. Later, Don had killed Crystal as the fugitive drove straight at a line of agents, determined not to get caught.

Now, Buck had escaped, and Charlie was working with the FBI to bring him and the other prisoners back. Charlie was sitting in front of a dry erase board, staring at the equation in front of him and the results it brought.

"I trust your math is going well?" Larry questioned, sensing his friend was not satisfied with his work.

"I ran Buck's motives through an equation, and I... I predicted his next move."

"Is there a problem with that?" Larry frowned. His friend's voice held strain.

"Yeah, you could say that." Charlie pushed back, making room for his friend to see the board in front of him.

Larry stared at the board a moment, following along with the equation, and found the circled area that marked the predicted location. He had to hold in a gasp.

"Charles, have you told Don what you found?"

"Not yet," Charlie said as he stood. He patted his friend's arm, leaving the room before there could be any argument between them.

Larry's stomach suddenly hurt, and he feared his friend's safety was in jeopardy.

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Charlie made it to the FBI office shortly after talking to his friend. He had stared at the equation for twenty minute, hoping and praying he had done something wrong, that his outcome wasn't right. But he knew it made sense. It was a logical move for Buck Winters to make. Why was it so hard for him to believe?

Don was sitting in one of the conference rooms, the TV on with footage from when he had shot Crystal Hoyle flashing on the screen. Charlie swallowed hard, afraid to tell his brother the news he had. Instead, he said something else.

"Why didn't you tell me Buck Winters escaped?" Charlie asked without another word of greeting.

Don looked up and away from the TV, surprised to find his brother there. "What?"

"You heard me. Why didn't you tell me Buck Winters escaped?"

"Look, Charlie, it's just another case. The bad guy is on the loose, we'll go get him, and throw him back in prison again."

"It isn't just another case, Don. This is serious. Buck is looking for revenge, and you know it. How could you not tell me? You talk about me being in my own little world, but, damn it, Don, you have been this entire case. You have to snap out of it! He's going to strike against you, and when that happens, you won't know what hit you."

Don looked up at his brother tiredly. "I didn't tell you because it didn't concern you. David was going to fill you in anyway."

"David shouldn't have had to tell me! You're my brother. You should have told me yourself. Did you ever think Buck could come after one of us to get to you?"

Don's heart jumped at the question. He had thought of it, but he didn't expect it to happen, so he didn't hang onto it. "Of course, I have, Charlie. Just... he's after me, and he's going to come after me alone. It's not a big deal. I can handle him."

Charlie sighed. "You might not be worried, but Dad and I are. You haven't seen how scared Dad is. He knows what Buck has done and he knows what he's capable of doing. You need to stop thinking about you, and start thinking about your family and friends. We're out here doing our bests, and you're sitting here all stony faced with nothing to say. Don, we need you to give us a little hope that you're okay and that we're all going to be okay." Charlie paused. "I need you to tell me it's going to be okay."

Don looked to his brother, heard the fear in his voice, and realized he'd been selfish. Though he knew in his heart he could handle the situation by himself, he wasn't allowing his friends and family to take care of him, and he wasn't giving them much reassurance. Don reached out and squeezed his brother's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Buddy. I promise you, we're going to catch this guy. It's going to be all right, really. You'll see."

Charlie managed a weak smile. "I know."

Don smiled for the first time since the investigation started. He stood from his chair and started to leave the room, but his brother's voice stopped him.

"Don?" Charlie said quietly, his voice timid and unsure.

"Yeah, Buddy?"

"Just... just watch out for yourself."

Don nodded. "You, too."

Charlie felt sick to his stomach, anything but reassured. He should have told Don, but seeing his brother being put in direct danger, and remembering the way his father had been so scared the past couple days, Charlie knew he had to do this on his own.

For his family.

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Don sat at his desk, his head in his hands. He wished Megan were there, because he had a feeling she would somehow reassure him. He should feel fine, safe. His team, girlfriend, and brother were all fighting for him. He had seen the way Robin had questioned one of the escaped prisoners. He had never seen her so angry and determined. It was a lot for her to deal with, he knew. He hated what it did to his friends and family. If it were just him, he'd be fine. But this was different. There were a lot more people involved than just him. Don felt his heart ache when his father admitted his fear. He never wanted that for him. Robin was distraught with worry. David, Liz, Colby, and Nikki were working harder than ever to catch them. And Charlie... he didn't really know what his brother was doing, but he had a feeling Charlie was putting in more hours than usual on this case.

Don, however, found it hard to do anything. He didn't feel safe going out. He didn't want to risk going to his family home, for fear Buck would follow him there. He didn't want to go to Robin's for the same reason. He didn't want to go to his apartment, because Robin was often there. So he spent most of his time at the office, even sleeping at his desk a few nights. He was fine being targeted. He had no fear when it came to facing Buck. He didn't care if he got hurt. But this was different than Albuquerque. He had family and friends who counted on him. He had a personal stake in his team. He couldn't be as careless as he would have been there. Don knew his family were worried and his friends and fellow agents just wanted this one to be over. So Don was going to be careful, for them.

For his family.

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Charlie was working late at CalSci. He was scared to go home. His father had been through so much. He knew he'd be worried. Alan had barely slept lately, his fears keeping him up late at night. Charlie understood that fear. It was the same fear that sliced through his heart the moment he heard the name Buck Winters again. David had thought he knew, but once again, Don had kept him out. Don hadn't told him about going to Temple. Don hadn't told him about him and Liz getting together, or him and Robin breaking up, or getting back together. It was like after high school. Don just started cutting Charlie out of his life, one step at a time, until they weren't talking at all. Charlie hoped that wouldn't happen this time. He understood his brother was going through a lot in his life, but he still didn't see that as an excuse to cut ties with his family.

Charlie was getting ready to leave when it happened. He was locking up his office. No one else was there, even the janitors had left by that point. So Charlie was surprised when he heard footsteps down the hall. He took a deep breath, his gut telling him who it was before the figure came into the hallway light. From a distance, he could make out the shape of Buck Winters, knowing without doubt it was him.

"Do you have any idea what your brother did to me?" Buck asked. He gave no word of introduction, knowing the professor recognized him.

"Yes, Buck, I do."

"I bet you don't. Your brother took me into a room, closed the curtains, and beat information out of me. He broke my fingers, twisted my wrists. He and that other guy in there tortured me until I told them where Crystal was. Do you know what it feels like to give up the woman you love? To know you were the cause of her death?"

Charlie shook his head, his stomach lurching as the light shone off of Buck's gun at his side.

"I didn't think so. He killed her. He took her from me. Crys was the only thing that mattered to me anymore. I didn't have anyone else to go to. She took care of me, and I threw her to the wolves! I was weak, and it was all your brother's fault. He shot her. He did this. It's his fault."

"Cr-Crystal was a criminal. She was going to kill those agents if he hadn't fired. She was going to run them down with her car."

"I don't care! Crystal was good, and you don't understand that. She jut had a lot of bad things happen to her."

"It was either that, or she was going to go to prison, just like you. I don't think she wanted that. She knew if she surrendered they would have taken her into custody."

"You're lying! She just wanted to live! She wanted to get away from them! She never would have given up like that! Don killed her!"

"Maybe, but she wanted it, Buck. You can't deny that."

Buck quickly grabbed the gun at his side and pointed it at Charlie. "Shut up! Just shut the hell up!"

Charlie raised his hands, trying to show he wasn't a threat. He kept his mouth shut, afraid to say anything more.

Buck kept the gun pointed at Charlie while he reached down and grabbed his cell phone from his pocket. "Get over here."

Charlie closed his eyes, giving a silent prayer, as he moved the rest of the way to Buck, closing the space between them.

Buck quickly punched in a few numbers in his phone and then held it up to his ear. "Do you know who this is?" he asked after hearing the voice of the man who killed his wife.

"Then you know why I'm here, why I escaped. You killed the woman I loved, now I'm going to kill someone you love."

On the other end, Don's heart stopped beating. He didn't think Buck had that mindset. He thought the young man would go straight to him. How could he have underestimated him?

"I'll give you what you gave me... one last phone call."

Buck thrust the phone into Charlie's hands. Don held his breath, afraid of whose voice he'd hear. He hadn't seen Robin in hours. She was supposed to have gone home. His heart lurched, afraid he'd hear her voice.

"Don?"

Don's breath caught. "Charlie?"

"Listen, I'm sorry, okay? I love you, Don. It's going to be okay. Take care of Dad, all right? Tell him I love him. It's not your fault, okay?"

Don had to swallow hard to make his throat start working. "I love you, too, Buddy. You're going to be all right. I'm going to come get you. Fight, Charlie. Don't let him hurt you."

"Don-"

"All right. That's long enough. Now you'll know what it feels like to have everything taken away. Now you'll know what it feels like to be the cause of the death of someone you love. Maybe that'll show you. Maybe then you'll hurt like me."

"Buck, listen to me. I'm the one you want. Don't hurt my brother, please. You can hurt me all you want, just... leave him alone. Please." Don actually heard his voice break, along with his heart. He never wanted this. How could he have been so blind?

"No, Eppes. You didn't let me take the fall, so I won't let you. Your brother is dead, Eppes. And it's all your fault."

"Buck, no!"

Buck hung up the phone before Don could say another word. He turned to Charlie, who was surprisingly calm.

"I'm sorry it's gotta be this way, but your brother never should have messed with me. It's only fair."

"Buck, you don't want to do this. If you do this, you're no better than Don. You won't have accomplished anything. You'll just keep up the chain of violence."

"I don't care! I just want him to hurt the way he made me hurt! I'm 19 years old and I'm stuck in prison! They gave me 250 years! I don't even have death row to look forward to! I'm stuck in there, and I'm never getting out. Do you know what that's like? To have your whole life ahead of you and have it decided for you? That you're never going to be anymore than a prisoner because of a few bad choices along the way?" Buck screamed.

Charlie felt tears come to his eyes. "Yeah, I do. I had my future decided for me when I was four years old. I was going to be a mathematician, a genius. I was going to go to the best schools and do the best work. I was going to be somebody, but nobody ever asked if I wanted it. As I went along, I started to enjoy it. But I could have been anything else. But my parents chose that for me. I don't regret what I've become, but I can't help but wonder what could have been."

"Shut up! You're nothing like me! We're nothing alike!"

"You're right. I didn't throw my life away. I didn't seek revenge on someone who was just doing his job. I didn't risk everything for a woman twice my age."

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" Buck was about to swing the gun at Charlie's head, striking the professor, but Charlie was faster. He took Don's childhood advice, grabbed Buck's hand, and kicked him hard in between his legs. As Buck dropped to the floor, Charlie let go and ran off. Buck moaned as he doubled over. It took him a moment to recover, and when he did and looked up, Charlie was already out of sight.

"Get the hell back here!" Buck screamed, raising his gun in front of him.

Charlie could hear Buck shouting behind him, but he continued to run. There were enough hiding places he could find in the building, but the adrenaline kept him from stopping. He had to keep running, keep moving. Soon he had made it to the cafeteria, and was about to cut through it to make a loop around the building when Buck caught up with him.

"You piece of shit!" Buck shouted right as he pulled the trigger.

Charlie heard the shot before he felt it. He looked down and saw the blood on his side. Charlie couldn't tell if Buck knew where he had hit him, so he dropped to the floor like it had been much worse.

Buck watched Charlie drop, satisfied that he had done it. He moved closer to the body and knelt beside it. It felt good to be back in the game. He had already taken out his cellmate, now Don Eppes' brother. It felt good. Real good.

Charlie listened to Buck's movements beside him. He tried to judge where the young man would be, and used it to strike. When he felt the time was right, Charlie opened his eyes and lunged for Buck. He could have tried to run again, but he couldn't this time. This man had come after his brother. Whether Don was supposed to be the protective one or not, Charlie felt a need to protect his own as well. Never one to feel hate or even violence toward another person, the feelings were new to him as he began to punch and hit Buck over and over again.

"Don't you ever come after my brother again! He was only doing his job! Don Eppes is the bravest man I know! He would never intentionally hurt someone without a reason! Don't you ever come near him again!"

Buck was stunned by the professor's actions. He was so taken aback that he lost his gun and was so blinded by Charlie's attacks he couldn't defend himself.

"Buck Winters! We know you're in here!" Charlie heard someone call, and he recognized the voice as that of David Sinclair's.

"We're here, David! It's okay!" Charlie shouted as he stood, giving Buck a hard kick to the stomach to effectively disable the man for the time being.

"Charlie?" Don called when he heard his brother's voice. He lowered his weapon and took off at a run, heading toward the sound.

"In the cafeteria! I've got Buck!"

David and Don shared a look as Nikki and Colby followed behind. The team ran forward. Liz and a few other agents were coming around the back, taking a different path to try to find Buck. When they walked into the cafeteria, they found Charlie standing over Buck. Buck was laying on the ground face down. Don looked from Buck to his brother and gave a relieved sigh. "You are something else."

Charlie began to shake, realizing what all he had just done and gone through. He managed a weak smile and took a step toward his brother.

"It's okay, Don. I'm all right."

Don smiled in return and took a mirrored step toward his brother. But before his foot hit the ground, Buck grabbed the gun, shot Charlie, and then Colby shot Buck.

Charlie and Don stared at each other a brief moment. Don's mouth hung open in surprise and fear. Charlie's eyes were wide with fear as the pain began to register. His legs started to buckle and he collapsed onto the floor. Don ran to him, ignoring Buck as he reached his brother.

"Charlie!" Don fell to his knees beside his brother, looking at the gunshot wound. Charlie's hand already covered the spot on his stomach, breathing haggardly. Don searched his brother's face, terrified at what he saw. Blood began to slip through Charlie's fingers as he applied pressure to his own wound.

Don and Charlie were still staring at each other when Buck's laugh sounded behind them, as the escapee was being handcuffed by David and Colby. "See Eppes? That's how I felt. That's how you're going to feel when he dies. It's all your fault! You killed Crystal and now you killed your brother!" Buck laughed again, the laugh of a sinister villain. Don's concern for Charlie was forgotten a moment as he stood. Liz watched Don's face, knew what he wanted to do. She stepped in between Don and Buck and held her hands out in front of her, stopping Don. "Don, no. You don't want to do that. Think about it."

Don's anger remained, but he knew the agent was right. Not so long ago, he was ready to give Buck the benefit of the doubt. He was willing to be the bigger man. But once Buck directly attacked his family, all bets were off. Now, though, he knew he couldn't attack Buck like that. He was still just a kid, and he would regret it years later.

With one last glance toward Buck, Don turned and rushed to his brother once more. Charlie was staring up at him with a look of desperation on his face. He was putting all faith in his brother, looking to Don for the answer, for comfort, for strength. Don could hardly stand to look into his brown eyes' depths for the look of trust in them. Charlie was able to put total faith in his brother. With Don, he knew he was safe. Don wasn't sure if he could handle that feeling, though he had spent his whole life wanting and trying to make his brother safe with him. However, he knew he had failed to do that many times.

"Don..." Charlie grunted out, as if he was being strangled. "It... hurts."

The statement alone was enough to worry Don. His brother rarely complained about a cold, headache, migraine, or anything else. He hadn't even said a word when he broke his leg as child. Don had been worried sick, but Charlie never complained, though the pain was still evident.

"I know, Buddy. It'll be better soon, okay? You're going to be fine."

Charlie nodded in agreement. As long as Don was there, he knew that was a fact. He weakly laid his head back down as he continued to apply pressure with his hands.

Don quickly tore off his hooded sweatshirt upon seeing his brother's struggle to clot the wound. He pressed the dark navy material into Charlie's stomach, laying Charlie's fingers atop that instead. Don, too, kept a hand on it to make sure there was enough pressure.

"I'm so-sorry," Charlie said, closing his eyes.

"Don't be sorry, Buddy. This isn't your fault."

Charlie closed his eyes tighter and shook his head from side to side. "No... It is. I didn't tell you."

"Didn't tell me what?" Don asked, confused.

"Factored... equation. Knew Buck... was coming."

Don's eyes flared red. Charlie knew? He had known Buck would come after him?

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was just an equation.... I could have been wrong."

Don gave Charlie a hard look. "When have you ever been wrong?"

Charlie closed his eyes against a memory he'd rather not remember. "You got shot."

Don shook his head fiercely. "You weren't wrong then. You led us to the right bank. You just didn't know they were violent."

"Should have known."

Charlie opened his eyes long enough to look in Don's, hoping to convey more through a look than he could through words. It felt harder to breathe and his strength was surely waning. Don looked up to Liz who was hovering a few steps behind.

"How far away is the ambulance?"

"They should be here any minute, Don."

Don nodded. It already felt like it'd been far too long. When he turned back to Charlie, his brother had a tight grimace on his face, his eyes shut, and perspire coating his forehead. Don moved closer toward his brother and reached out to push the messy curls off Charlie's forehead. "Help is coming soon. You'll be fine, okay?"

Charlie nodded against the pain. He dared to move his right hand from his stomach and reached up, blindly holding it out for Don to take. His brother did, and he could feel Charlie's fight through the strength in that hand grip. Charlie was in a world of pain he'd never experienced, and it was hard to stay awake.

Soon, they heard the ambulance and it took Don and Charlie away to the hospital. Then Don had to face the hardest part of waiting to hear about his brother's condition, and, to tell his father what had happened.

**More to come ASAP. It should only be one or two more chapters, since I have another story to complete. I just had to stop or this was going to be one looooong chapter.**


	2. Forgiveness vs Revenge

**Thank you for the encouraging reviews. Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy this. It is mostly what I wanted to see out of the episode, but didn't. I'm sorry if you didn't want it to be changed. I loved the episode, I just would like to extend my view on how it could have gone. I'm sorry this turned into a love-hate story, where either you really liked it or you really hated it. Hopefully this chapter will clear things up and make it more enjoyable to the Don fans. Thanks for reading.**

**Note: I'm not Jewish. I don't know if their prayers are any different, so if this seems weird, let me know. Since Don is new at this, too, though, I hope it works. Also, I'm not a doctor. For my medical people, correct me if what I wrote doesn't make sense! Thanks!**

Don felt like his head was about to explode. He usually had a handle on his emotions. He had years of training when it came to hiding his emotions under a mask of control. However, since Buck's escape, his mind was a roller coaster of emotions. He'd been scared, unwilling to face his mortality. He put it on the line more times than he could count, yet knowing Buck was out for revenge, he felt it more directly. Unable to admit to this fear, he withdrew into himself. He barely noticed his friends and family when they talked to him. Only his father was able to break him out of his shell. Upon his father's admittance of fear, Don's mind went into overdrive again. He was scared for his family. He was mad at Buck. He was mad at himself. He felt guilty for what he'd done to Buck. He felt sorry for Buck being trapped in jail. He hated that his family had to be put through this. And now, Charlie was dealing with the ramifications of what Don did years ago.

Don didn't want to go back to the way he had been. He had told Nikki to be better than him, and he truly meant that. He didn't always believe that you had to be by the book. However, he didn't want anyone to go through what he did. He didn't regret getting Megan back. He knew Crystal would have killed her if they had taken any longer. He just wish he hadn't had to go to such extremes to get it out of Buck. His new found faith was changing the way he looked at his job. It was all confusing still. He hated it. Don's mind was in turmoil, and he didn't know what emotions he could truly hang onto.

His father was sitting next to him, looking rather distraught. Alan had feared for his oldest son's life. He had admitted his fear, telling his son that he was scared. Don knew that, and he didn't ever want to put that on his family. Now, Alan had feared for the wrong son, Don realized. He hated seeing fear. It was his job to make people safe, and his family should feel safe with him. But when Charlie came in earlier, Don knew his brother was scared, too. They were all scared, and that did no one any good, except maybe Buck.

Don couldn't settle his emotions toward Buck. It had been so easy for him earlier to forgive the young man, to confront him face to face. Don was ready for that. He knew he could meet up with Buck, and it would be fine. He trusted his team would take care of him, he trusted himself to do the right thing by Buck. But Buck had taken things to a new extreme by going after Charlie. It was true Don had killed Buck's wife. He had put Buck away in jail. He had done things he wasn't proud of to get information out of him. Still, Don wasn't prepared for Buck's retaliation. In his mind, it was always just him and Buck. He thought it would go down the two of them, face to face. No one else needed to be involved. Those were the rules Don thought had been set, but Buck had broken them, and shot the first arrow to Don's heart. If Buck hadn't been caught, he might have gone further. He might have found his father, Robin, his team, anyone, just to pierce Don's heart again.

Don turned to his father, surprised to see tears on Alan's face. Don hated seeing it. He never liked seeing people's tears. It made him feel bad and frantic to make them go away. When Don and Charlie were kids and Don would intentionally make fun of his brother, if Charlie cried, Don would be there to try to make him feel better and laugh again. He'd do anything to make his brother smile. Seeing his Dad now, he wasn't sure he could stand to stay and watch them.

He quickly stood and left the room. Don didn't think his father noticed, so he kept going. He wanted privacy, but wasn't sure he could find it. He finally left the hospital and walked outside into the dark parking lot. It was after midnight, and not many people were there. He found a quiet spot in the grass by a bench, kneeled in front of it, and bowed his head to pray.

"Dear God, I, uh, I'm kind of new at this. I know I've done some bad things in my life. I know I've never really been close to You, but I'm trying. I really am. I just need something else to hold onto in my life. The rules aren't enough to ground me. So, I was hoping maybe You could help. Right now, though, I need you to help my brother. I know he's a man of science, not faith, but could you please take care of him? It may sound selfish, but I do really need him. He probably has no idea, but I do. He's been through a lot, and I haven't always been there for him. Let me be able to be there for him now. Please, God. I can't lose him. My father can't lose him. He means so much to so many people. I just don't know what to do anymore, and I was hoping You could help me figure that out. I know I'm asking of a lot, and I don't deserve a thing you give me, but please. Please, help my brother, because he does deserve Your help. Um, thanks. Amen."

Don lifted his head, and looked around. No one was around, so no one had seen him. He quickly stood and returned to the waiting room. His father looked up as he walked in the room, and Don gave him a small smile, trying to reassure him. Alan gave a shaky smile in return and Don walked over and sat beside his father again. Don reached over and grasped his father's hand. Too late, he realized it was the wrong choice. Alan gave a sob, and stood.

Don looked down at his hand, realizing too late that that was the hand that had held Charlie's. Charlie's blood was still there, and Don found he couldn't look away. How had he not noticed? It wasn't that much, but it was still there, still Charlie's. Don silently stood and quickly walked away and into the nearest men's room.

Don got to the sink and turned the water on full blast. He watched in an odd sense of fascination as the water turned a light shade of red, an almost pink color, for a brief moment before the blood rinsed down the drain. Don lathered his hands in soap and scrubbed at his hands, as if a doctor about to perform a surgery. When he was finally satisfied that his brother's blood was gone, he returned to the waiting room with his father.

Alan looked up at Don when he returned. He followed Don with his eyes as his son walked up to him and then sat beside Alan. When Don was seated, Alan reached out and held his son's hand. "He's going to be fine, Donny."

Don nodded. "I know."

But Don didn't know. Not for sure. There wasn't much he knew with absolute certainty. He hated what he'd been doing to his brother, though it felt right at the time. What if he'd pushed his brother too far? What if Charlie didn't understand?

"Don!" Don turned in surprise when he heard his name called. He saw Robin rushing through the ER doors and toward him and Alan. He stood to meet her and ran up to her. She latched onto him in an emotional embrace.

"I just heard what happened. Don, I'm so sorry. Have you heard anything yet?"

Don shook his head forlornly. "No, he's been back for a while now. Probably not as long as it feels like, but long enough."

Robin gave a comforting smile and reached out and caressed his cheeks. "This must be hard on you."

"I'm fine. It's Charlie we should be worried about," Don snapped. He turned and went back to his seat by his father. Robin followed and sat beside him, placing her hand on his arm in a comforting gesture. Don could barely stand to feel her touch. He loved Robin, but seeing her reminded him of his first concern. When Buck called him, he had worried about Robin. He hadn't thought about Charlie. Hadn't thought about Alan. Maybe it was a testament to how much he loved her, but it angered Don to think he'd thought of someone who wasn't family over his own brother. Then again, he hadn't been thinking much about his brother lately at all, except about how much he'd been hurt by him.

Don's heart nearly stopped when a doctor stepped out and looked toward them. They were one of the only families in the room. There was an elderly couple in one corner, and a few adults around the room. Theirs was the largest group, and looked the most forlorn.

Don stood at the same moment as his father. Robin followed behind, placing a hand on Don's back for support. The doctor moved forward, an older man with salt and pepper hair. His glasses rested almost on the tip of his pointed nose as he came toward the family. His white coat seemed to almost camouflage the doctor with the blank white walls of the hospital.

"Are you here for Charles Eppes?"

"Yes, I'm his brother. This is our father, and our sister Robin. How is Charlie?"

Robin didn't even blink as Don called her their sister. She was silently touched that Don had said it, meaning that she could stay because she was family. Though she was proud to be his girlfriend, she was glad that Don thought enough of her to let her stay by his side. Or maybe that showed how much he needed her there.

"Charlie had to be taken back for surgery. He was shot twice-"

"Twice!" Alan exclaimed. He covered his mouth in shock and a few of his tears spilled. Surely Charlie couldn't survive that!

Don's heart jumped. Charlie had been shot twice? How had he not noticed? What if he'd lost too much blood because he hadn't clotted that wound? His insides churned at the thought. Why hadn't he seen it?

"One of the GSWs was minor. It only required a few stitches. However, the one to his stomach was worse. He was very lucky in that the bullet missed all the vital organs. We will have to remove his appendix, though, but he should make a full recovery. He should be out in a few hours. I suggest you go home and get some rest and come back later."

"I'm not leaving," Don said automatically.

The doctor nodded. "The cafeteria is down that hall, last door on the left. I'll keep you posted."

Don was glad the doctor didn't try to stop him. He simply sat back down and waited. Alan sat beside him, as did Robin. After a minute, Robin stood again, though.

"I should probably get Amita. I don't think she knows what's going on."

"Amita! How could I have forgotten her?" Alan looked up, ashamed he had forgotten the woman his son loved, and who loved his son back.

"It's okay, Alan. You had other things on your mind. I think I'll go get her, bring her back here." She turned to Don. "Can I get you anything?"

Don shook his head in response, not speaking a word.

"Don? Are you going to be okay here?" Robin asked softly as she leaned down to Don's level.

Don turned his head only to look her in the eyes. He loved her. There was no doubt in his mind. He could even go as far to think she could be the one for him. But right then, he did not need her. He did not want her strength. Don didn't want to put this on her. He didn't want her... He wanted Charlie.

Robin read the meaning in his eyes and simply nodded. She gave Alan a smile before she left the hospital to go get Amita.

Alan reached out and took Don's hand again. He clasped his son's hand in both of his. "He's going to be fine. Charlie's a fighter. He'll be fine."

Alan managed a smile, but it was shaky at best. There were still tears in his eyes, but he refused to let them spill over. He would not think like that. His son was going to be fine. Charlie would be okay. Don would be okay.

Don nodded in response, robotic. He could only nod, thinking that was the best he could do. Resting his head on the wall behind him, he closed his eyes.

Right as he started to relax, Don felt his phone vibrate in his coat pocket. He took it out and saw that it was Liz.

"Hey, Liz. Charlie's in surgery now. I'll call when I have more information," Don answered before Liz could speak.

"Thanks, Don, but that's not why I'm calling... It's about Buck... He escaped."

Don quickly stood and walked away from his father out of hearing range before he exclaimed, "What?"

"I know, Don. He was being treated on the other side of town, and I just got a call that the on-duty guards really screwed up and managed to let Buck escape."

Don's phone began to beep, a sign he was getting another call. He briefly moved the phone away from his ear to check, expecting see Robin, David, Colby, Nikki, anyone but him.

"Can I call you back, Liz? Uh, the doctor is here."

"Don, what's going on?"

"I'll call you back, Liz. I gotta go."

Don switched calls before Liz could open her mouth. "Eppes."

"You know what I want, Eppes."

"Oh, yeah? Seems like you took a pretty big risk escaping from a hospital. You bleeding, Buck? I think I know what you want, too, but I'm not giving it to you."

"Shut up! Can you meet me in ten minutes?"

"Sure. How about the Temple downtown?"

"I'll be there."

Don heard the phone cut off, and set it down. He looked back at his father, worried. He really didn't want to leave him. What if Buck was playing him? What if he came to this hospital? Surely Buck knew Charlie would be taken to a local hospital, which only meant that Alan would be there as well. How could he not know?

Taking a deep breath, Don made a tough decision. He walked up to his father, and put acting skills he didn't know he had to use.

"Hey, Dad, I, uh, I'm going to go back to my apartment after all. I need a change of clothes, a shower. I'll be back soon, okay? Call me if you hear anything."

Alan was surprised. He raised his eyebrows, doubtful. But when he looked into his oldest son's eyes, he saw a turmoil there like no other. If he needed a break, Alan would not question it.

"Okay. Be careful, Donny. Call if you need me, okay?"

"I will, Dad."

Then, uncharacteristically for Don, he reached down and gave his father a hug. Alan held on tightly for a brief moment, then let go again. Don straightened, patted his father's shoulder, and left. As he walked out of the hospital, he put the phone to his ear after dialing number four on his speed dial.

"David? We've got a problem."

"Yeah? What's that, Don? Is Charlie okay?" David sounded worried.

"No, it's Buck. Can you get the team together in-" Don paused to check his watch. "Say eight minutes?"

"Where do you need us?" David did not question Don. He would do it. He could do it.

"The Temple. I'm meeting him there."

"Don, wait for us before you go in there."

"I'll wait as long as I can, but I can't make any promises. Get the team going. I'll see you inside."

"Be careful, Don. I'm not about to let you die."

Don gave a small chuckle. "Thanks."

Closing his cell phone, Don searched the parking lot for his car. The team had taken care of bringing it by, since Don rode in the ambulance. He took out his keys and found the car not far. When he saw it, he took off at a run and got inside.

Don had a job to do, and he would get it done. Buck Winters had hurt his brother, had put his family through hell the past few days. Don could feel that anger rage through him, but the conflicting emotion of guilt still lingered. Don had two battles to win tonight. One a physical match between him and Buck. The other, a battle between revenge and forgiveness. Don wasn't concerned about the first, but the latter had him questioning everything. He wasn't sure he'd been to Temple enough times for forgiveness to win...

**Just by a show of hands, who wants Buck to die and who wants him to live? I already have my plan, but I'd like to see if any of you wanted him to die in the episode or not. Sorry it took a while to update. School is crazy already! More to come ASAP, especially since this is a cliffhanger. It should be four or five chapters total, so we still have a little way to go. Hope you like it so far!**


	3. Shoot vs Shot

Don pulled up to the Temple and parked his car. He had made it in five minutes, an insanely fast time considering LA traffic. However, he had turned on his lights and took off. He knew his team was nowhere to be found yet. He knew them too well. They would have been parked around the corner. Don would have seen a sniper by now, some indicator that they were set up. Don didn't doubt they would be there soon, but he wasn't a patient man. He opened the door to his car and got out. Slamming the door behind him, he walked confidently into the Temple. He didn't see Buck anywhere as he walked inside and down the main aisle. He sat down in a chair up front that faced the door. He looked around the room, scanning the stain glass windows. Would here be his final resting place? Would he find forgiveness in his heart here? Would he really forsake what he'd learned because of revenge? Don wasn't sure what was about to happen. All he knew was that he was in a holy place with a serial killer after him. And he had no Kevlar vest to protect him.

Don had his head bowed when he heard the door creak. He silently asked for guidance, and watched the door fervently. Soon Buck walked in, a large gun held in his hands. Where he got it, Don didn't know. The fugitive hadn't been out of the hospital longer than a half an hour, Don guessed. Buck took steady steps toward Don, his eyes hard and his mouth in an angry frown.

"So, it finally comes down to it then," Buck said as he walked down the aisle to Don.

"Yeah, I guess so," Don replied calmly.

"You know it was a real treat getting that article. Being in prison doesn't give you a chance to keep up on the outside world, so they try to help by bringing in magazines and newspapers. When I got my hands on that article, I thought it was some twist of fate. There he was. Your baby brother. And who should be mentioned in the article? Big brother himself. I had already been planning my escape. I'd been planning it since I found out you killed Crys. At the time, all I had in mind was you. How I was going to kill you. I was going to hurt you. I was going to make it all about killing you and how I was going to do it. But then I got that article and I knew there was something that would hurt a hell of a lot more than death. What was it you said? 'If there's anything stronger than the bond between brothers, it's the bond between brothers who've become friends. Charlie is my friend.'"

Buck laughed cruelly, as if he were mocking Don. "I guess that's the closest tough FBI man can come to saying he loves anyone. I knew he was there working with you on that case. So I guess I could get revenge on him, too. But I knew if I did anything to your brother, you would know how it felt to be the reason someone you love died. What better than taking a younger brother? Did he die yet?" Buck smiled.

Don felt his anger rise. It took all of his willpower to stay seated, when all he wanted was to stand and charge Buck.

"So what now, Mr. FBI? You really think you're going to just walk away from me? It ain't over that easy. I've worked too hard for all of this."

Don knew the moment his team entered the building. Years of experience taught him what every sound made. He was able to see some of his team move in the balcony without Buck noticing. He felt better knowing they were there, but he couldn't help but feel like this was only his battle, never theirs.

"If you're looking for an apology, you won't find one here. I did my job when I shot Crystal. She was coming after me and my team, and she would have run us all over. She took one of my agents. I couldn't let that go easily. But I've regretted what I did to you ever since."

"I can't buy shit with your regrets. You really think that's what I want? Huh?" Buck raised the gun a little, closer to pointing at Don.

"No, Buck. I don't think that's what you want."

"It's not! I loved Crystal! She was my whole world. She was going make my life right! We were going to be happy together, but you had to take her from me! Now what do I have? Four damn walls! Four damn walls that aren't big enough to bother with! They're nothing, just like my life! It's all for nothing! I'm nineteen years old!"

"I know how old you are Buck."

"Then I bet you know my sentence too. Two hundred and fifty YEARS! Even some of the guys get lucky enough for a damn death sentence. I don't even have that to look forward to. I'm stuck, and that's all I'll ever be! I'm not going anywhere farther than those damn prison walls! Do you know what that feels like? You put me in there as sure as you doomed me to the worst kind of hell."

Don felt another blow to his conscience. He truly regretted what he had done. There was nothing in the rule books about this. There was nothing in there that suggested torture was a respected method of getting answers. But Don had been desperate, and he pushed things too far to make sure he got his agent back. He had broken the rules, but worst of all, he had broken his own rules. He was not one of those guys who became an agent for the power trip. He didn't do it so he could hurt others, or have a "license to kill" so to speak. He did it because he felt he needed to help people. Don wanted to protect his family. He wanted to ensure people were safe, and do that by catching the bad guy every time. Don missed that naive college student who thought he was really going to help the world with his job, but instead traded in his own beliefs in a desperate act to save Megan Reeves.

"I hope your brother dies if he hasn't already. Maybe then you'll know what it feels like to hurt for the rest of your pathetic excuse for a life. Maybe you'll understand what I have to go through every damn day. You'll finally know how I feel then."

Don's anger rose once more, and, as if with it, Buck raised his gun and pointed it at Don. Instinctively, Don reached for his gun and pointed it at Buck. At the same time, Don's team appeared, their guns aimed at Buck as well.

"Put the gun down!" David shouted as he came up to Buck, walking fast with his gun aimed and ready at the fugitive.

"Stay back, David," Don said, his voice deadly and cold. David stopped but kept his gun aimed.

"This is between me and him," Buck shouted. The kid was standing tall for someone who had ten guns pointed at him. But he only cared about the one he held in his hands, and the one in Don's hands.

"Drop the gun, Buck. This isn't going to end well for you," Don called angrily. He tried to remain professional, but with his emotions surging, it made it difficult.

"Come on, Eppes! Just shoot me! Shoot me like you did Crystal! Shoot me, just like I shot your stupid baby brother. I hope he dies, Eppes! I hope you have to suffer just like I did!"

Don's blood ran hot. His finger twitched. His eyes focused in on Buck. How easy it would be to end it. Just one slight touch, just a tiny pressure, and it'd be done. Buck would never come after him and his family ever again. Don could do it. He knew he could.

"If you're not going to do it, I will," Buck said quietly. He aimed the gun and before his finger squeezed the trigger, David knocked Buck to the ground. The gun went off, but missed any target. David pushed his knee into Buck's back, effectively pinning him down. Buck moaned and grunted beneath David's weight, trying to fight the agent off. When his attempts proved futile, he surrendered, finally breaking. Buck began to sob, hot angry tears spilling down his face. "I can't go back! I can't do it anymore!" Buck shouted, heartbroken. His world had been ended long ago, and he was tired of being left behind. His life had left, leaving just a shell of a man behind. Buck was tired of being split. He just wanted to stop living. He didn't want to be here anymore.

Don stared at Buck, still frozen in the same position with his gun still raised. His mouth hung open, shocked. He watched as David handcuffed Buck. His eyes were open, staring. His mouth agape. His fingers remained on the trigger, and he couldn't bring himself to move. What was he about to do? Would he have been able to pull the trigger? Would Buck have shot him? What would he have done?

"Don? Come on, man. It's okay. Just put the gun down," Colby soothed when he noticed his boss' unchanged position. He walked over to Don, lowering his own weapon as he raised his hands in front of him, trying to calm Don.

Don blinked at it was as if the light turned on. He took a deep breath and lowered his weapon. He took a stumbled step backwards and sank into the chair he'd been sitting in moments before. He put his face in his hands and worked the pressure out of his temples, rubbing his throbbing forehead.

"Hey, you okay, man?" David asked after he handed off Buck to one of the other agents. Don gave David a look that said he couldn't talk about it right now, and after years of working together, David could understand his boss' silent plea. He simply sat beside his boss while the other agents cleared out. When the last one left, Don managed to find his voice.

"I... I could have died... just now. I didn't have my Kevlar on. I, I couldn't find it in me to shoot him. I've already put the kid through hell. What with me and Edgerton, and then when I shot Crystal, I just... I don't think I could have done it." Don paused, slowly licking his lips. "But I wanted to. Those things he said about Charlie. I... I can't let someone do those things and say those things about my family and just walk away. But this time, I really thought I could."

David nodded in understanding. He had seen a lot of changes in Don Eppes from the moment he first met him to this moment. Don had changed dramatically in the almost five years David had known him. When David first met Don, Don had been the perfect agent. He had been by the book, unwavering, and empathetic. He could gain a victim's trust in a minute, and he never strayed from the rules to get what he wanted. He wasn't open to the idea of math helping him solve crimes. He didn't think his brother could help him. But in the following years, Don had opened his mind to new things, and going off the book every once in a while. David truly believed that Charlie had done that, or at least played a major role. When Don began to stray from the rules too much, he fell off the deep end. David had seen it happened. He watched Don during the case with Crystal Hoyle and Buck Winters. He saw what it did to him. He would have been worried if he had acted any other way. But Don showed he didn't like what he was doing, and that showed David that Don was going to be okay. He just didn't expect Don to still be beating himself up over what he'd done.

Don took another deep breath before standing. "Thank you, David. I owe you, man."

David shook his head. "You and Charlie have saved my ass enough times along the way. I'd say we're pretty even."

Don gave his friend a small smile and started to walk away.

"And Don?"

Don turned at David's voice.

"You did the right thing. You can let yourself off the hook."

Don nodded, but he wasn't sure he believed it. As he left the Temple, he took out his phone and turned it back on. His heart raced as he saw how many missed calls he had. He had 15 missed calls. When he looked at who they were from, he was even more concerned to see they were all from his father. Don immediately called his father as he ran to his car and sped off back to the hospital. He was on his way before Alan even answered.

"Donny?! Where have you been? I've been worried sick."

"I had to do something at work. I'm fine. What's going on? Is Charlie okay?"

"Yes, Donny. He's okay. We can see him now. Get over here soon."

"I'm on my way."

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

"Yeah. See you in a minute. Bye, Dad."

"Bye, Donny."

Don closed his phone and breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried Buck's wish had been granted. Don continued to hurry to the hospital, eager for a chance to see his brother. Maybe then things would finally feel semi-normal, and he could finally find some peace.

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Charlie awoke with a sense of panic in his chest, sitting there like a heavy weight. His eyes scanned the room he was in and immediately felt fear when he realized he was in a hospital. How had he gotten here? What was going on? He didn't understand why he was there, and it scared him. His eyes instinctively searched for Don. Don made him safe, right? Where was Don?

A soft noise startled Charlie, and he realized that Don was laying right beside him. His brother had his cheek resting against part of the mattress and part of the railing on the side of the bed. He looked like he had simply fallen into an exhausted sleep, not caring where he was lying. Don had a protective hand resting on Charlie's leg, as if to tell him when Charlie moved or woke. Charlie's heart rate began to slow as he realized he would be safe. If Don was with him, he was fine.

Charlie rested his eyes a moment. He didn't want to wake his brother, but he wanted to know what was going on. He felt like he'd been asleep for ages, but he knew that couldn't be. He finally chose the selfish choice and nudged Don.

"What?" Don said quickly. He snapped awake, raising so fast the room spun a moment. He found his brother looking worriedly at him, and he wondered if something was wrong.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Don asked.

Charlie smiled softly. "It's fine, Don. I'm okay, I guess. What happened to me?"

Don took a moment to calm, but Charlie could see he wasn't going to like what happened to him. Don bit his lower lip nervously before beginning to speak.

"Buck happened. He came after you at CalSci."

Before Don could say anything more, Charlie remembered it all. He felt a sense of panic a moment, but he slowly relaxed when Don rested his hand on Charlie's forearm and squeezed.

"What happened to Buck? Is he gone?"

"He's in custody. We got him, with your help." Don gave a proud smile, but it wasn't exactly heartfelt. If he didn't know how dangerous the act had been, he would have been proud of his brother for helping them apprehend a fugitive. However, Charlie got hurt in the process, and that was something that Don would never be okay with. It wasn't in his nature.

"Did you?" Charlie couldn't voice his question. He knew his brother had been struggling with what he'd done to Buck and Crystal, what lines he'd broke to get Megan back. Charlie didn't want there to be anything else for Don to beat himself up over.

"David got him. It's fine. We're just worried about you. How are you feeling?"

"Sore, but I'm okay. My stomach still hurts, but it's not bad."

"That's good."

There was a moment of awkward silence after that. Charlie wasn't one to complain about pain, so he didn't know what he was supposed to say. Don, however, had a lot to say to fill the time, but his brother was in the hospital. The things he wanted to say were not appropriate for a hospital patient. So the two just sat there, staring off in different directions.

"Where's Dad?" Charlie asked suddenly, grasping one means of conversation he could come up with.

"He went home a little while ago. He should be back soon. I think he was just going to get a shower and a change of clothes. He's been here almost as long as you have."

"How long is that?"

"It's been about twelve hours since they brought you in. He hasn't left since he got here. Hasn't slept much either."

"And you?"

"I left for a little while, but that's about it. And, of course, I got a little bit of sleep." Don chuckled.

"You can go home. I'll be okay." Charlie said the words, but even as they left his mouth, he knew that wasn't how he was feeling. He was grown man. Of course he would be okay on his own. But the truth was that he wanted Don there with him. He just didn't know how to say that.

"I've got no where else to be, Buddy." Don smiled, and Charlie grinned broadly in return.

Charlie scooted over to the other side of his bed, making more room. He reached over and lowered the bed rail, which Don still had an imprint of on his face. He smiled at Don and gestured toward the bed with his hand.

"You might as well get comfortable," Charlie said rationally.

Don smiled. "Okay."

He moved his chair as close to Charlie's bed as he could. He rested his head against the bed. Charlie moved one of his pillows and placed it under Don's head.

"Thanks," Don said quietly as he closed his eyes. He felt much more comfortable on the pillow. His breathing evened out before Charlie got situated, and soon he was snoring softly. Charlie smiled at his brother's sleeping form. He felt good that he was able to give Don some comfort. He didn't want his brother to be stuck in the hospital all day, with no sleep. It was important to Charlie to make his brother happy.

Charlie had just laid down and closed his eyes when he felt the door quietly creak open. He barely opened his eyes to see who was there, then he broke out into a grin. Alan smiled emotionally in return. He hurried over to Charlie's side and leaned down to hug Charlie. Charlie latched onto his father in return, but he couldn't help wishing it was Don. Alan stayed close so he could whisper to Charlie, so he wouldn't wake Don.

"I was so worried, kiddo. Are you okay? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine, Dad. It's okay. Really."

"How's Donny? I see he's finally getting some sleep."

Charlie smiled. "Yeah, he was asleep when I woke up, and he just laid down again. I don't mean to be a bother. He could have gone home. You can, too."

Alan shook his head sternly. "No. We're your family, Charlie. This is what we do. We're here when you're sick and you need us. And you, my little boy, most definitely need us. You were shot, Charlie. People who get shot get people who look after them and get taken care of. Understand?"

Charlie understood what his father was saying. He knew if it was Don or Alan in his place, Charlie would be there every step of the way. He had learned the hard way from missing out on helping his mother that he had to start being there for others when they needed him. He wished he could have brought himself to do it for his mother, but he couldn't. So if something ever happened to Alan or Don, Charlie told himself he would do everything he could to be there with him.

"Is he mad at me?" Charlie asked timidly. It was what he was afraid of. He'd done something stupid. How could he have not told Don what was going to happen? Would things have been better? Worse?

"Why would he be mad at you?" Alan asked, and Charlie realized he didn't know. Did Don know what he'd done? Charlie prayed he didn't, but at the same time, he feared if Don didn't, he would have to tell him. Larry was the only one he knew for sure knew how he had willingly faced Buck. What would Don think if he found out?

"Get some sleep, kiddo. You're looking tired." Alan smiled softly and reached out to smooth Charlie's hair. Charlie smiled and leaned toward Alan's hand. The soothing touch helped ease Charlie's troubled mind, and he soon found himself joining Don in sleep.

As his sons rested, Alan finally took a deep breath, letting out all the fear he'd been feeling ever since he heard that Buck Winters was after his son. Finally, they were safe, and things could get back to normal.

**Hey, guys! There should be only one more chapter after this, unless I find something else I need to touch on. Are there any loose ends you guys can think of? There will be a situation between Don and Charlie about what happened. That's my main goal for the last chapter, as well as some coming to terms with what happened for Don. So, if there's something you think I'm missing or you want to see, please let me know. Thanks for reading so far. After this, I promise to get back to Cry Because It Happened! I'm so sorry I've neglected it so long! Thanks again for reading. Let me know what you think!**


	4. Brother vs Brother

Don sat alone in the Craftsman house. He was the only one awake, it being late at night. Alan had retired to bed long ago, and Charlie had been resting off and on for hours. It was Charlie's first night home since he'd returned from the hospital. Alone in the dark, Don couldn't help but think of how things could have turned out differently, for him, for Charlie, and for Buck.

Don had never found it easy taking another life. With Crystal Hoyle, it had felt easy at the time. Don was protective of everyone close to him, especially those under his charge. Megan was one of his teammates, and she had become a close friend. So of course he felt the need to protect her from Crystal. Megan had been there when he shot Crystal. She had spent time with the woman, and had ended up in the hospital because of it. Don didn't want that to ever happen to Crystal again. There were plenty of guns aimed at Crystal when she came speeding at them in her car. Two more seconds and it would have been Edgerton, or one of their trained snipers, to take the shot. But Don had taken the shot. No one else. He never expected Charlie would be the one to pay the consequences.

Don shivered as he stretched his legs out in front of him. Sleep eluded him. Too many thoughts were running through his head. It seemed every time he slept the outcome of his experiences with Buck changed. Charlie had died once. Don had died once. And then, Buck had died as a result of Don's gun. He knew Charlie's death disturbed him the most, but sometimes he thought him killing Buck came in second. Don put his life on the line all the time. He knew the risk, knew that one day his life could be taken away easily. He also knew that there would be times when he would have to take a life, and he had accepted that fact long ago as well. But taking Buck Winters' life had never sounded good to him. He was still a kid, too young to die. Though Don could understand people killing out of mercy, he couldn't find it in himself to be the one to deliver that killing. Don truly believed that Buck could turn things around for himself. Though it didn't look like he would ever leave the confines of prison, Buck could make something more of himself in there. He should have done it long before he met Crystal, should have steered clear of that woman. It was too late to change that, so he should at least make something of himself now.

The thought of Don ruining Buck's chance to do that was what was plaguing him. Don couldn't decide whether he would have pulled the trigger or not, the reason the outcomes played in his head at night. He would do anything to protect his family, and when it came to Charlie, he would go through hell and back if it meant he'd be safe. When Buck shot Charlie, Don couldn't see beyond protecting Charlie. It didn't matter that killing Buck was something he never wanted to do. It didn't matter that Buck was just a kid. Buck had hurt his brother, and that was all that stood out on Don's mind.

So now, when Charlie was no longer in danger and Buck was back in prison, Don couldn't help but wonder how things would have turned out had David not stepped in when he did. Again, it was the difference of two seconds. In two seconds, would Don have pulled the trigger? In two seconds, would Buck have pulled the trigger?

"Don?" Charlie's sleepy voice came from the stairs, startling Don into flinching.

"Yeah, it's me. What are you doing up? Are you okay?" Don stood, worried.

"I'm fine. What are you doing down here? You know you can sleep in your old room any time." Charlie slowly descended the last few stairs and quietly winced as he put his hand against his side.

Don stepped forward when he saw Charlie wince. "Are you sure? Please, sit down." He reached out and put his hand on Charlie's shoulder, guiding him toward the couch.

"I'm fine, Don. I promise. You didn't answer my question. What are you doing down here?"

"Am I not allowed here anymore?" Don snapped a little.

Charlie simply raised an eyebrow at his brother, showing he wasn't going to be that easily deterred. Don sighed.

"Nothing, Charlie. I was just thinking." Don walked ahead of his brother and sat down on the couch. Charlie followed, sitting next to Don. He turned his head toward his brother, watching Don for signs of emotion.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

It was Charlie's turn to sigh. "Come on, Don. You have got to start letting me in. It's been five years. Do I have to wait another five for you to start talking to me?" Charlie knew he was exaggerating a bit. Don had definitely opened up to him more in those five years than he had at any other time in their lives, but Charlie needed to give Don that extra push to talk to him. He didn't care if that meant he had to guilt Don into talking.

"I was just thinking... about Buck."

Charlie nodded, keeping an eye on Don. His brother leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Don stared ahead of him, as though watching the scenes he began to narrate.

"After you were in surgery, Buck contacted me. I left long enough to meet him at the Temple. He came, and I... I was just wondering whether I would have shot him or not if I had gotten the chance."

Charlie swallowed hard. That was a lot to think about. He knew his brother well enough that he wouldn't kill someone for pleasure. He took every shooting hard, even now. Even though Charlie had been put in danger, he couldn't imagine Don taking a life without just cause. Though, in Don's mind, just cause was probably putting Charlie in danger.

"Did he hurt you?" Charlie asked.

Don looked over at his brother, smiling lightly. "No, Buddy. He didn't hurt me."

"Did he hurt your team? Did he shoot at you? Any of you?"

"No. He was going to, but David stopped him."

"Where's Buck now?"

"Prison."

Charlie nodded, thinking for a moment. "Did you ever have a reason to shoot him, when you were together?"

Don looked at Charlie like he was insane. "He shot you twice, Charlie. Yeah, I'd say I had a reason to shoot him, if I had."

"But you didn't."

Don blanched. "What?"

"You didn't shoot him. You had a reason to shoot him, but you didn't. How long were you together?"

"I don't know. Five minutes, maybe more."

"And in that time, you never shot him."

Don smiled sadly. Leave it to his brother, who has the tendency to overcomplicate things, to make things so plain and simple.

"Am I wrong?" Charlie asked, looking at his brother.

Don shook his head. "No, you're right. You're exactly right."

Charlie smiled. "I'm glad I could help."

Don chuckled and tousled Charlie's hair. "Thanks, Buddy."

Charlie pushed Don's hand away. "Stop!"

"Sorry. Did I mess up Sleeping Beauty's hair?"

Charlie punched Don's arm lightly. "Shut up."

Don raised his hands in surrender. "Fine. I'm done... Go back upstairs. Get some sleep."

"I will when you will." Charlie pushed into the couch, getting comfortable, expecting it to take Don a while before he went to bed.

Don stood. "Well, you're already behind. I'm already gone!" Don took off at a run up the steps, leaving Charlie downstairs.

"No fair! I'm the one who got shot, remember?" Charlie called after Don as he stood.

Slowly Charlie went up the stairs to find Don standing at the top. The teasing was out of his face as he watched Charlie seriously. Charlie stopped at the top of the steps, waiting on Don to say something.

"Thanks, Buddy. I really mean that."

Charlie smiled. "No problem."

Don reached out and squeezed Charlie around the shoulders. Uncharacteristically, Charlie moved in the embrace, turning so that he could give Don a full hug. Don was surprised a moment, then wrapped his arms around his brother's back to hug him in return.

"Get some sleep, Buddy," Don said as he lightly pushed Charlie away.

"You do the same," Charlie ordered, smiling as he turned to go back to his room.

"I'm glad you're okay, Charlie," Don called before Charlie closed the door. Charlie peaked out the door, smiling.

"I'm glad you're okay, too, Donny."

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Don pulled up to the prison and flashed the guard his ID. He had called ahead so they would know he was stopping in. The guard nodded at him and let him pass. He checked his guns in at a check point inside and was escorted to the visiting center. As he stepped inside, he saw Buck sitting there. He looked worse than the last time Don had seen him. His eyes were red, his face covered in a short beard, and he wore a scowl on his face. Don's throat tightened a little as he watched him a moment before entering the room. Buck didn't look up until Don was almost in front of him, and when he did, he stood quickly, ready to leave.

"Sit down," his guard told him, standing in front of Buck as a block. Buck grunted, angry. He turned around and sat back down, facing Don.

"What the hell do you want?" Buck asked, the anger more than evident in his voice.

"I just want to talk to you, Buck."

"About what? How you destroyed any chance I had of ever getting out of here? How you ruined my life? Took away the only thing I ever loved?"

"That's part of it," Don said, surprising Buck into silence.

"I truly am I sorry about Crystal. I'm sorry about what I did to you to get you to talk. I can't imagine how that must feel. I would do anything to protect the people I love most. I can't imagine what it feels to like to feel responsible for their death. It really wasn't your fault, though, Buck. Crystal made her decision. You couldn't stop that. Even if you hadn't told us anything, we would have found her. She'd either be dead, or in prison. You couldn't control that."

"If you had just let me talk to her a little longer, maybe I-"

"No, Buck. She would have made her decision no matter what you said. She loved you, there was no doubt about that. But she knew what was left for her, just like you know now. Do you really want her to be here?"

Buck frowned a moment. "No! I wanted better for her! I wanted us to be together. I never wanted us to get into all that violence and shit. But she wanted it, so I wanted it for her. Now look where we are! She's dead, and I'm going to spend my life in prison. What kind of life did that turn out to be?"

"I know, Buck. That's why you need to take this chance to do things right. I know your options are limited, but you can go to school. You can get a degree in here. You can do something with the life you have. I know it's not what you wanted, but it's better than going through life looking for revenge and feeling sorry for yourself."

"What do you know about it? You're not me! You have no idea what I'm going through!"

Don swallowed hard. He remembered how hard Megan had worked on this case. She had gotten in Crystal's head, and he had warned her about it. But no one ever told him how he had gotten in Buck's head this time around. He knew the kid better than he liked, and he figured it was because of that he hadn't shot Buck.

"I know you never wanted this. I know you could have had things so much better. I know your father hurt you, but you could have overcome that because you're strong. You just got misguided by Crystal. I know you loved her, but she wasn't right for you. I know your options are limited, but, Buck, you can change. Prove to them you're not a screw up, you're not just a criminal. Show them you can make something of yourself, and maybe you'll get a second chance. Use what resources you have. Buck, I know you're not stupid."

Buck looked angry, but Don could see his words were getting through.

"I think you'd better leave, Mr. Agent."

Don sighed as he leaned back. "I'm sorry, Buck. I really am."

Don stood and started to walk away. He had one last thought, though, and turned back around. He walked up to Buck, still sitting down. He leaned next to Buck's ear so only he could hear him.

"If you ever come near my brother again, I'll kill you."

Don smiled, pretending everything was normal, and walked away.

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Don wasn't very close to Larry. There were a few occasions where the two were alone and were able to get along well. They just weren't the same type of people. Larry was thoughtful and always questioning the world. Don was more physical. He needed to feel things, needed to experience them, and rarely asked why. It seemed odd that the two would end up alone together in the Eppes home, considering there had been a swarm of people coming and going since Charlie returned from the hospital. Charlie was upstairs resting. Alan was out back tending his flowers. And there Larry and Don sat in the living room, alone, in awkward silence.

Larry cleared his throat. "It's good to see you all handling this so well."

Don raised an eyebrow. "How else would we be handling it? He didn't die, Larry."

Larry shook his head. "No, no, I know. I'm just saying a little more aggression is often to be expected on your part."

Don chuckled. "I'm a new man, Larry." Don did believe that. He still couldn't quite get his head around what his choice would have been with Buck, but he firmly believed he wouldn't have shot him. Though it was what Buck wanted, Don couldn't deliver that to a man so young. He couldn't put more guilt on himself. He was changed and changed for the better. Don had been to Temple almost every day since the shooting. He couldn't help reading the Torah, couldn't help but fall to his knees every time he entered the Temple, thanking God over and over again for sparing him and his brother.

"I can see that. When Charles showed me that equation, I couldn't believe it. And to think that you could forgive him so easily for something like that. It's just amazing."

Don leaned forward, confused but intrigued. "What are you talking about, Larry?"

"Charles had predicted Buck was going to come after him that night. Didn't he tell you?"

"No." Don's eyes went to the stairs. "No, he didn't tell me that."

Larry gulped. "Oh, dear. I'm sorry, Don. I thought you knew."

"Excuse me." Don barely uttered the words before he took the stairs two at a time. He went to his brother's door, which was slightly cracked open. It was probably from Alan peeking in so many times. Don slammed the door open so hard that the knob put a dent in the wall behind it. Charlie jolted awake and out of bed, his heart pounding so hard it hurt. He looked around the room for his attacker, but found his stormy-eyed brother instead.

Don slammed the door closed after marching in the room. He stalked up to his brother, his eyes cold. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Charlie had no idea what Don was referring to. "I..."

"How could you not tell me? If you knew Buck was coming after you, you damn well should have called me! We could have caught him then, Charlie! We could have caught him, and you never would have been hurt. You never would have almost died. Do you realize that, Charlie? You were shot twice! Most people don't live through something like that. That never would have happened if you had just told me!"

Charlie's heart rate increased, as did his breathing. He understood what Don was mad about now, and it didn't make things any easier. "I... I wanted to take care of it myself."

"Charlie, how stupid can you be? You're not an FBI agent! I am, remember? If there is a fugitive on the loose and coming after my brother, I had better be the first one to know!"

"It was just an equation. I... I had no proof that he was going to be there."

"Oh, cut the bullshit, Charlie! Since when has one of your equations not worked? That's a lame excuse and you know it."

"I-I-I just wanted to take care of it myself."

"You already said that. It's not your job to 'take care of it.' It's mine, all right? And if you ever do something like that again, I'll make sure you never consult for the FBI again, you hear me?!" Don shouted.

It was too much. Charlie's breathing quickened so much that he found it hard to breathe. He started gasping for air, and Don's anger momentarily vanished.

"Buddy? What's wrong? You need to breathe."

Charlie's eyes widened as he choked on each strangled breath. "D-on."

"I'm right here."

Charlie sat up, hoping to help himself breathe better. Don sat on the bed, trying to soothe his little brother's anxiety. Charlie's breathing continued to quicken, his chest felt too tight. His stomach churned and sweat broke out on his forehead. He couldn't get enough air, and the fast breathing caused him to pass out.

Don caught Charlie as he almost fell headfirst off the bed. He pulled his brother backwards so that he was laying on the bed. Don lightly patted his brother's cheek.

"Charlie? Charlie? Come on, Buddy. Wake up." Don began to feel desperate, feeling every second like it was a day. When a month had passed, Charlie opened his eyes.

"What?" Charlie asked. He felt the panic transfer over from before to consciousness. His eyes widened and he looked at Don. His memory returned, and he felt scared again. Sitting up, he looked at Don fearfully.

"Easy, Buddy. It's okay. I'm not mad. It's okay," Don said soothingly. He kept his hands up, without touching Charlie. He hoped that would be enough to convince his brother he wasn't going to hurt him.

Charlie breathed heavily, staring at Don's face. He finally relaxed, still breathing heavy. He leaned against the headboard. Don took this as a sign he could move in. He sat beside his brother and stretched an arm across his brother's shoulders. He held onto Charlie's upper arm in a supportive grasp, feeling Charlie shaking in his hand.

"I'm sorry I scared you, Buddy," Don managed to say calmly. He was still angry, but he didn't want to upset his brother further.

"It's okay. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But Don, you have to understand. When you don't tell me these things, like Buck escaped from prison, it pushes me away. I don't want that to happen. You didn't tell me about Buck. You didn't tell me about going to Temple. I want to be a part of your life, Don. I thought you knew that by now. We've been working together for almost five years now. Can't you see that I enjoy spending time with you? I want to be your brother, not just your consultant."

Don swallowed hard, listening to his brother. Charlie pushed out of his grasp and stood from the bed. Don continued to sit, watching the nervousness in his brother's body as Charlie stood and began to pace.

"I know I did something stupid by not telling you about Buck coming after me. I knew what I was doing, and it was stupid. But, please, understand. I did it because I want to do my share. You've spent your whole life protecting me, and this was my one shot to take care of you. I thought if I could do this for you, maybe we'd be a littler more even."

Don frowned. "Even? You think we need to be even? _I'm_ the older brother. It's my job to protect you, okay? I never once wanted some sort of payment for it, or expected you to repay me for something I was supposed to be doing anyway. That's what I do, Buddy. I'm here to protect you, not the other way around. That's never been your job."

"But I never asked for it to be your job! I know Mom and Dad put that pressure on you. I know they made it your job. But dammit, Don, I'm an adult now! I can protect whoever I please, and you shouldn't have to keep protecting me."

Don shook his head, almost laughing. He stood slowly and walked toward his brother. Charlie eyed him suspiciously, still upset. Don stood in front of Charlie and reached out, placing his hands on each of Charlie's shoulders.

"When you're old and gray and 80 years old, and I'm old and gray and 85, I'm going to be there to keep the bully old men from bothering you at the nursing home. I'm _always_ going to be here to protect you. Always."

"Eighty isn't a prime number." It was the only thing that could come to Charlie's mind. He smiled sheepishly up at Don.

Don smiled in return. "No, it's not."

**Again, sorry for the delay! It's done now, though! YAY! I'll be sure to get started on Cry Because It Happened ASAP! I have midterms this week, so it'll be kinda slow, but the week after that is my spring break! YAY! So I should have time to update faster. I can't believe I've left it for so long! I hope you enjoyed this story. If there was something missing, I'm always up for epilogues or whatever. But it'll have to come after my update for Cry Because It Happened! I have to get people back on track with that story. Thanks for reading!**


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